About Welling

Welling is a large town centre situated in the west of Bexley Borough. It is home to over 300 shops and businesses and visitors can enjoy a traditional shopping experience along one of the longest High Streets in London. At almost a mile long, Welling High Street has everything from supermarkets and department stores and speciality shops to bars and restaurants.

Welling is fortunate in having direct train services with London Victoria during business hours and into the early evening, generally alternating with Charing Cross services. A kiosk next to the booking hall sells refreshments to waiting passengers. These fast and comfortable off-peak train services complement a bus network that presently offers over 60 hourly departures from the town centre, during shopping hours.

Welling is benefiting from substantial investment from Bexley Council and Transport for London. In 2004 improvements were made to the Embassy Court shopping centre and the Westwood Lane and Nag's Head car parks. All the lamp columns in the town centre have been replaced which has significantly improved the lighting in the town centre, thereby improving road safety and the performance of the town's CCTV network of cameras. The westbound bus lane past Embassy Court was eradicated during the summer of 2006, the effects upon bus schedules and the vitality of the centre are being monitored.

Welling has an active Town Centre Partnership comprising representatives from the retail and business community, resident/community groups, local councillors and council officers, and meets regularly to discuss and promote action to enhance and regenerate the Town Centre. Public meetings are held three times a year and provide an opportunity to learn more about developments in the town as well as allowing individuals a forum to give their views on decisions affecting the future of the area. The Partnership is currently helping to develop the new Town Centre Action Plan for the next three years. For more information about Partnership meetings contact the secretary on 020 8303 2942 or by email john.m.abbott@btinternet.com.

The Bellegrove Road Railway Bridge underpasses received a major facelift in 2004 with the installation of exciting and innovative murals, funded by Bexley Council and designed by a local artist working with Welling school and the community.

Welling was a pilot site for reassurance policing and has witnessed the rebirth of community policing, as part of the Community Safety Initiative developed by the Council and the local Metropolitan Police Service. Police are now locally based at two schools in the town, in teams of six. Crime has fallen dramatically and people are less fearful of crime.

Top quality open spaces

The Borough's principal park Danson Park, which features a popular boating lake, and a famous award winning C18th mansion (recently re-opened by Her Majesty the Queen after major restoration), is only a short walk from the heart of the town.